Well it’s done. Three months from the first ditch being dug stake was hammered into the ground, two months since the last form board was hammered into place, just under one month since the first rebar was laid, the concrete pad has been exposed to its true identity.

To remove the form boards turned out to be more work than installing them. All of the sand that was tossed from the ditches out had to be removed. This was bucket loads of sand just on the east side. Then the kick legs and metal spikes had to be unscrewed from the form boards.

Most of the kick legs were brand new 2x4s and were saved to be reused. The metal stakes started to rust from being buried in the dirt but they were saved as well. Once a kick leg was removed the newly exposed sand was collected along with sand off the bottom of the form leaving just the 2×4 spikes.

Wooden spikes were hammered back and forth until they could be pulled out. Again, the spikes were buried deep into the ground and when pulled out ground water seeped into the hole.

With the kick legs, wooden and metal spikes removed, and connecting screws takes out, the form boards were attempted at removal with a high lift jack as they would not just pull out as expected.

Metal angle strips used to secure the end bed plates in at the correct height were cut off and then hammered free. Eight plates, eight angle strips, two hours of work to cut, remove, grind smooth.

In every step of the clean up procedure the Kid could be found skating instead of working even when “working”. But in the end he was just as nervous about the state of affairs when the final boards were removed.

In the end after all the form boards were removed, the Planner while not happy deemed the errors fixable. He is not worried about strength integrity of the rebar nor the end bed plates just disappointed in the workmanship of the professionals.

The Kid was most happy the concrete pad was not going to be removed and he could continue on with his skateboarding skills.